Label storage and dispensing package



Oct. 17, 1967 c. B. LINDEKE LABEL STORAGE AND DISPENSING PACKAGE Filed March 9, 1966 IINVEJ-VTOR.

CHARLES BRUCE LINDEKE ATTORNEYS" United States Patent 3 347,361 LABEL STORAGE Al ID DISPENSING PACKAGE Charles B. Lindeke, 2705 University Heights, Boulder, Colo. 80302 Filed Mar. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 533,089 4 Claims. (Cl. 20656) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a label storage and dispensing package comprising an elongate, flat, rectangular en velope having a closed end and an open end, a plurality of elongate, flat, rectangular label strips stacked on each other in facewise relation and slidably mounted in said envelope for removal from its open end, each label strip including a plurality of labels arranged successively along the length of the strip, each label strip comprising a backing strip of material having a lower adhesion surface and each of said labels having a pressure sensitive adhesive coating removably securing it to said backing strip, and an elongate, flat, rectangular draw strip having an inner end and an outer end, the outer end of said strip having 'afinger grip portion and the inner end of said draw strip being provided wit-h a pocket to receive the inner end ofiat least one of said label strips to cause said label strip to move in unison with said draw strip. The face of the draw strip confronting the overlying label strip has an area coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive to contact the back of the label strip and removably retain said label strip in aligned relation with said draw strip during removal and re-insertion. The coated area on said draw strip may comprise at least one spot of adhesive at the inner end of said draw strip or a plurality of space lines of adhesive extending along the major portion of the length of the draw strip.

: This invention lies in the field of storage and dispensing packages for adhesive labels and is directed particularly to a novel pack-age which prevents loss and damage to such labels when mailed in small quantities, as in ordinary mailing envelopes, as well as providing a more convenient and practical means for carrying and dispensing them in normal use.

- At the present time there is a very large market for personal use labels such as address labels and novelty messages. Since these labels are quite small, frequently about one half inch by two inches, and orders are usually only for a few hundred at a time, it is common practice to pack them in small plastic boxes about the size of a ox of safety matches. A box of this kind is normally placed in an envelope and sent through the mail.

J As is well known, third class mail and parcel post are handled rather roughly and many of the plastic boxes contained in the envelopes are cracked or broken in transit. This is partially overcome by the use of tougher and more flexible boxes but this adds undesirable cost to an article which must be sold in a very competitive market. Even with this added protection, another difficulty arises. Frequently an edge or corner of a heavy package is forced against an unsupported area of the envelope close to the enclosed box. As a result the envelope is torn and the box slides out and is lost, so that the customer receives only an empty torn envelope.

I The present invention overcomes all of the difficulties mentioned above and provides a more useful and desirable package than the previous types even when they are undamaged. Instead of stacking the entire quantity of labels hack to back to make :a package which is thick enough to cause the damage and loss mentioned above, the labels are made up into label strips each including a plurality of 3,347,361 Patented Oct. 17, 1967 ice labels, preferably though not necessarily about ten to a strip. The labels are arranged with their long edges adjacent so that a complete strip is about two inches wide and four to five inches long. If the labels are backed with moisture type adhesive they form an integral strip with tear lines between labels. However, the preferred label at the present time is provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive backing. These labels are mounted on a separate backing strip having a low-adhesive surface so that they may be readily removed when desired without destroying the effectiveness of the adhesive, and are slightly spaced apart lengthwise of the backing strip.

The label strips so constituted are quite flexible in and of themselves, and a stack of strips comprising several hundred labels is just as flexible because: each strip is free to bend individually. Such a stack, with all the strips the same size and shape, is placed in a fllat rectangular envelope of plastic sheet material which is equally flexible. The envelope remains open at one end for ready withdrawal of the label strips. The package is completed by the provision of a draw strip of the same general size and shape as the label strips and provided at its inner sive coated areas;

end with a pocket formed by a folded over extension flap. The stack of label strips is laid over the draw strip with the inner ends of the label strips seated in the pocket, and the assembly is then slid into place in the envelope.

When it is desired to detach one or more labels for use, the draw strip, which has a finger grip portion at its outer end, is gripped and pulled far enough out of the envelope to expose the desired number of labels on the top strip. The label strips move out in unison with the draw strip because their ends are seated in the pocket. When the desired label or labels have been detached, the draw strip is fully reinserted in the envelope and the label strips return with it to be fully enclosed and protected. The draw strip may beused to carry only a single overlying label strip, with all of the other label strips underlying the draw strip. With this arrangement only the label strip to be used is withdrawn. Furthermore, with this arrangement, the face of the draw strip which confronts the overlying l-a'bel strip is preferably provided with one or more spats or lines of pressure sensitive adhesive to contact the back of the label strip and removably retain it in its assembled relation for ease of handling.

The complete package described above is larger in area but much thinner than the plastic box which it replaces. The lack of any significant bulge in the mailing envelope eliminates the tearing which was experienced with the boxes, and the flexibility of the package allows the mailing envelope to conform to other parcels rather than resist and be damaged. The shape, thinness, and flexibility of the total package allows it to conform readily to various shaped containers, and hence it can be carried conveniently in a ladys purse, a mans inner coat pockets, or his business wallet.

Various other advantages and features of novelty will become apparent as the description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the complete storage and dispensing package of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

.FIGURE 3 is a sectional FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the package in its alternate arrangement;

' FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the draw strip with adheand FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5, showing a different arrangement of the adhesive coating.

The complete package, as best seen in FIGURE 1,

view taken on line 3-3 of comprises an envelope 10, a draw strip 12, and a plurality of label strips 14, the assembly of draw strip 12 and label strip 14 being slidably received within the envelope 10. Each label strip 14 is elongate, flat, and rectangular as shown and includes a plurality of small labels which are arranged to extend laterally of the length of the strip with their long edges adjacent to each other. When the labels are provided with a moisture type adhesive they are normally in the form of an integral strip of material with tear lines between the labels. However, the presently preferred form of label is provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive and, as shown in the drawing a plurality of such labels 16 are mounted on a backing strip 18 with a very small space 29 between the long edges of adjacent labels. The backing strip 18 has a low-adhesion surface so that the labels 16 may be easily detached without destroying their adhesive character.

Draw strip 12 includes an elongate, fiat, rectangular section 22 and a rectangular integral extension 24 bent back as a flap at 26 to overlie the inner end of section 22 and form therewith a pocket 28 to receive the inner ends of one or more label strips 14.

Envelope is made from a sheet of thin, transparent, flexible plastic material bent back on itself at 30 and bonded along edges 32 to form a fiat rectangular sheath just large enough to freely receive a draw strip and a stack of label strips so that they may readily slide in and out.

In practice, a stack of five or ten, or more, label strips 14 is laid on the confronting face of the draw strip 12, and flap 24 is folded over their inner ends to form a pocket to hold them in fixed relation to the draw strips. The assembly is now slid into the envelope which encloses and protects the labels until the time of use, It will be noted that the draw strip section 22 is somewhat longer than the label strips to provide a finger grip portion 34 at the outer end of the draw strip. The envelope is as long as the total length of section 22 and is provided with cutouts 36 to permit grasping portion 34 when the draw strip is fully seated.

When it is desired to detach one or more labels, portion 34 is gripped between the thumb and forefinger and the draw strip is withdrawn from the envelope to the extent necessary to expose the desired number of labels 16. The labels are readily peeled off and the draw strip is reinserted to its full extent in the envelope by pushing on the edge of portion 34. Although the draw strip is generally flexible it has sufiicient rigidity for this operation. Since the label strips have their inner ends seated in pocket 28 they automatically return within the envelope in unison with the draw strip.

It will be seen that the entire package is quite thin so that it can be placed in a mailing envelope without producing s-uflicient bulge to produce tearing of the mailing envelope under crushing loads. Morever, it occupies a major portion of the length and width of the mailing envelope so that the likelihood of being lost therefrom even though the latter is torn from some other cause is ren dered practically nil. In addition, the toughness of the plastic material of envelope 10 serves as an internal rein forcement for the mailing envelope.

Since the package is thin and flexible it may be readily carried in a purse, wallet, or pocket and Will conform readily to any changes in shape which may occur. Since the envelope 10 is transparent, the quantity and condition of the label strips can be readily determined at a glance without removing them from the envelope for inspection.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 4 it will be seen that only a single label strip '14 overlies the draw strip 12 and it is seated in pocket 28. All of the other label strips underlie the draw strip. Consequently, when the draw strip 14 is withdrawn as shown, only the one label strip moves with it. The others remaining completely enclosed within the envelope. This protects them from a great deal of wear and tear prior to the time 5 when they are to be used. It is also more convenient for the user who prefers to tear off the portion of the backing strip 18 which carries the label which he proposes to use because he does not have to segregate the one strip to avoid tearing off more labels than he wants.

In order to maintain the single label strip in alignment wit-h the draw strip and prevent it from slipping out of the pocket, a further improvement consists in providing one or more areas of pressure sensitive adhesive on the confronting face of the draw strip. In one form, a pair of dots 38 of such adhesive are placed as shown in FIGURE 5 to contact and removably secure the inner end of the label strip. This adhesive may have lower holding power than the adhesive used on the labels themselves since it merely has to resist very minor shear loads. When it is desired to restrain the major portion of the length of the label strip, the adhesive is laid in one or more lines 40 as shown in FIGURE 6, which extend throughout the major portion of the length of the draw strip section 22. In order to prevent flap 24 from adhering too highly to the adhesive areas if it is folded into overlying position with no label strip present, the confronting face of the fiap is provided wit-h a low-adhesion surface 42.

It will be seen from the foregoing disclosure and discussion that the present invention overcomes the various difficulties previously experienved in packaging and shipping labels, particularly in small sizes and small quantities. In addition it provides a neat and simple package which insures safety in mailing and ease and convenience in carrying and using.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts as disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended that all such changes shall be embraced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A label storage and dispensing package, comprising: an elongate, flat, rectangular envelope having a closed end and an open end; said envelope being formed of a flexible plastic sheet material to enable the envelope and its contents to conform readily to variations in the shapes of con tainers in which it may be stored; said envelope having at least a transparent portion to enable ascertainment of the qauntity and condition of the remaining label strips with out removal from the envelope; a plurality of elongate, flat, rectangular label strips stacked on each other in face Wise relation and slidably mounted in said envelope for removal from its open end; each label strip including a plurality of labels arranged successively along the length of said strip and adapted to be individually removed from the balance of the labels in said strip; each label strip comprising a backing strip of material having a low adhesion surface and each of said labels having a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating removably securing it to said backing strip; and an elongate, flat, rectangular draw strip having an inner end and an outer end; the outer end of said draw strip having a finger grip portion and the inner end of said draw strip being provided with a pocket to receive the inner end of at least one of said label strips to cause said label strip to move in unison with said draw strip; the face of said draw strip confronting the overlying label strip having an area coated with pressure sensitive adhesive to contact the back of said label strip and removably retain said label strip in aligned relation with said draw strip during removal and reinsertion; said draw strip being adapted to be withdrawn from said envelope to any desired extent to make successive labels available for manual separation from the remainder of the labels in the label strips; and said draw strip being adapted to be fully re-inserted in said envelope together with the label strip to house and protect the remaining labels in said strip; said draw strip being sufliciently longer than the label strips to permit gripping the finger grip portion thereof separately to withdraw the draw strip together with the overlying label strip seated in the pocket.

2. A draw strip as claimed in claim 1; said coated area including a plurality of spaced lines of adhesive extending along the major portion of the length of said draw strip.

3. A draw strip as claimed in claim 1; said coated area including at least one spot of adhesive at the inner end of said draw strip.

4. A draw strip as claimed in claim 1; the face of said flap confronting the adhesive coated area having a lowadhesion surface to enable ready displacement of said flap.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 121,860 12/1871 Evans 20666 1,923,452 8/1933 Neumiller 206-4533 2,247,252 6/1941 Price 20656 2,502,214 3/ 1950 Gianninoto 20657 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. WILLIAM T. DIXSON, IR., Examiner. 

1. A LABEL STORAGE AND DISPENSING PACKAGE, COMPRISING: AN ELONGATE, FLAT, RECTANGULAR ENVELOPE HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END; SAID ENVELOPE BEING FORMED OF A FLEXIBLE PLASTIC SHEET MATERIAL TO ENABLE THE ENVELOPE AND ITS CONTENTS TO CONFORM READILY TO VARIATIONS IN THE SHAPES OF CONTAINERS IN WHICH IT MAY BE STORED; SAID ENVELOPE HAVING AT LEAST A TRANSPARENT PORTION TO ENABLE ASCERTAINMENT OF THE QUANTITY AND CONDITION OF THE REMAINING LABEL STRIPS WITHOUT REMOVAL FROM THE ENVELOPE; A PLURALITY OF ELONGATE, FLAT, RECTANGULAR LABEL STRIPS STACKED ON EACH OTHER IN FACEWISE RELATION AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID ENVELOPE FOR REMOVAL FROM ITS OPEN END; EACH LABEL STRIP INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF LABELS ARRANGED SUCCESSIVELY ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID STRIP AND ADAPTED TO BE INDIVIDUALLY REMOVED FROM THE BALANCE OF THE LABELS IN SAID STRIP; EACH LABEL STRIP COMPRISING A BACKING STRIP OF MATERIAL HAVING A LOW ADHESION SURFACE AND EACH OF SAID LABELS HAVING A PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE COATING REMOVABLY SECURING IT TO SAID BACKING STRIP; AND AN ELONGATE, FLAT, RECTANGULAR DRAW STRIP HAVING AN INNER END AND AN OUTER END; THE OUTER END OF SAID DRAW STRIP HAVING A FINGER GRIP PORTION AND THE INNER END OF SAID DRAW STRIP BEING PROVIDED WITH A POCKET TO RECEIVE THE IN- 